Developers paying NOT to build social housing grrr

Property developers are paying milions of pounds, like £9 million, so they do not have to sell units to social housing.

There was a plan, set up by Ken Livingstone, that 35% to 50% of homes on large sites be sold to "government aided housing association for rent or part buy" (in Chelsea Barracks in this case)

Boris has relaxed the rules, dropped the target, so the poor can basically fuck off and everyone else pay a bit extra rent in order to pay back the millions the developers spent trying to avoid poorer people. OK, the Evening Standard last Friday didn't put it quite like that but you can't crib the whole lot can you, verbatim..

Or can you..

"One planner says the social experiment of using the planning laws to form mixed communities is being quietly abandoned across London as one council after another accepts cash payments to build homes for poorer fold (sic) well away from the rich," writes Peter Bill.

The 50,000 homes target will be set, the article says, but where? Where will my son and I go when we're oofed out of here?

"The 2010 London Housing Strategy talks warmly of encouraging mixed communities; but not warmly enough to insist that that mixing rich and poor in the same development."

The whole thing stinks. Somewhere I read in a poll that over 70% of people felt we need more housing but over 40% of those didn't want those homes, the type of people who inhabit them, whoever they are, near them.

I know none of my followers are part of this 40% because I bang on about housing alot and they are still with me. Mind you, I don't have 100's of followers do I....

Interesting you could say...

I just shake my head, at total loss. No wonder Boris wouldn't meet me. His "strategy" is to get rid of me.

Nice...